For those that think the only way to go, is on an organized motorcycle tour, no need to stop by; move right along.

But this is for those that would love to go after reading all those tour reports on web sites or in the magazines, but have a heart attack the minute they see what those tours cost. Almost six thousand dollars for two weeks plus airfare and extras not covered would give me a heart attack as well. If you think that is reasonable, like I said, move right along.

What if I told you it can be done for anywhere between a third to half the cost, and the latter would be splurging? Of course, you will always get arguments from those that say the tour is not on the same level with respect to accomodations and meals. Maybe, but I have never been uncomfortable and I am damn picky about where I stay, and I like my food and drink. Besides, I am there to ride and to enjoy the roads, scenery, food and drink and mingle with the natives. If my room does not have satellite TV or if the hotel does not have a hot tub, it certainly does not take away from the riding experience.

Airfare is always extra, be it on a self-guided tour or on an organized tour. It costs what it costs which varies a bit with the time of year and the location you are flying from.

Motorcycle rental is best secured from a rental company and not from a tour operator as tour operators do not own their own bikes and use a rental company just as you would, with the exception of tacking on their extra fee; money out of your pocket.

The insurance deposit of up to US$3000 is required either way you go; self-guided or organized. Some rental companies give you the option of additional coverage for an extra fee. The deposit is refunded upon return of an undamaged motorcycle.

I would look for a rental company that includes unlimited mileage. Some have two options, for example 200 km per day or 2500 km per week at one rate and unlimited mileage at another rate. Keep in mind, a 250 to 350 kilometer day is a standard day on the backroads of the Alps; 400 kilometers and above makes for a very long day. Remember, most riders stop for photos ops and chats with other riders atop the passes.

Gas is not covered by any organized tour operator, so you are paying either way you go. The cost per liter varies from country to country and generally costs more on the autobahns and autostradas, then in towns and back roads. In June of 2013, gas per liter ran me between €1.564 for Super 100 in Austria to €2.104 for Super 100 in Italy. Super 95 is the lowest grade available and most stations have phased it out in favor of Super Plus 98. Up to 102 grade gas is available.

Accomodations based on what I have paid over the years ranged from €17 to €54 per night with a breakfast that in most cases can hold you over till dinner. The rates vary depending on the region. Austria is generally the cheapest with Süd Tirol (the Dolomites) usually between €25 and €40. With dinner, rates will hover around €50. I have stayed in some pretty fancy modern hotels, you know the type, with automatic sliding glass doors as you enter where I am saying, OMG, this is going to be expensive, only to find out the room rate is €35 with a big breakfast. France and Switzerland tends to be a bit more expensive. Except during the transition to the Euro where businesses took advantage of the consumer, I haven't found room rates to change all that much since I first went over in 1995.

If your room rate does not include dinner and normally it does not unless you choose that option (halb pension), dinner with usually run above €10 (pizza and a beer), obviously more if you choose to go all out, but I have found that I can get by very well on under €20 (Wiener schnitzel with potatoes/vegetables, a couple of beers and dessert).

So lets crunch some numbers and take a two week tour. The costs are based on a solo rider riding a BMW R1200 GS, staying in a private room with private washroom including breakfast and dinner.

One organized tour company prices their 2 week tour which includes: 14 night accomodation (13 riding days), all breakfasts and some dinners. Cost: US$7960 based on a solo rider on an R1200 GS in a private room.

So what can you do that for?

14 nights at €50/night: BTW, I chose to go high for those who say you cannot find anything at €40. That rate almost always includes dinner as well as the usual breakfast.

OK, so what are we up to? Based on a 1.28 (Jul '13) exchange rate: US$2868, a far cry from US$7960. So you want to live it up, tack on another €20 per night or US$358 for 2 weeks. You are still a long way under the half cost scenario. Oh, there will be other minor expenses such as transportation between the airport and the rental company, a few maps, but that is about it.

To summarize, you can go on an all-inclusive self-guided Alps tour (airfare, gas and all imaginable extras) for far less than the cost of an organized tour. Still dreaming? Move right along...and head on over.

Time for a one-stop listing of maps, but first, a bit of background on what to look for in maps.

Feel free to add your suggestions...with links to the maps if possible.

Scale:For overall planning over greater distances, scales of 1:300 000 to 1:1 000 000 work well. Which end of that scale you pick will depend on how much detail you are looking for.

For localized touring and meandering, scales of 1:250 000 or better are the ones to go with. How much detail you are looking for will then depend on how many maps you want to pack. I find 1:200 000 ideal. For some areas where I explore, I'll use 1:50 000, but they cover quite small areas and you would need to pack a couple of suitcases to cover all of Europe.

Features:Different map producers have different looks to their maps and that is a matter of personal preference. I prefer the Freytag & Berndt series of maps. They also make the highly detailed hiking/bicycling maps that I use. Michelin maps are my second choice.

So which maps?

For motorcycle route suggestions, the ADAC has a series of FREE maps that you can download. Read on...

These Freytag & Berndt series of maps for motorcyclists have a scale of 1:200 000 (just right for motorcycle touring), are plastic coated and come in a binder so that each can be removed for tank bag use. You'll be impressed with the detail and quality. Each map binder costs €29.95.

Motorrad Reisekarten are similar to the F&B maps in the binders, except at a scale of 1:300 000, they lack a bit in detail. They're available from Louis and Polo. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Motorrad Powerkarten are boxed map sets for various regions at a scale of 1:250 000. They're available from Louis and Polo.

Die MOTORRAD General Karte are a series of 20 maps of Germany at a scale of 1:200 000. Of particular interest to Alps riders will be maps 18, 19 and 20 along the Austrian-German border. Recently introduced are a series of 5 maps of Austria including Süd Tirol (South Tirol) 5 maps of Austria including Süd Tirol (South Tirol) at a scale of 1:200 000. Included are listings of camping sites, accomodations, motorcycle shops listed by make, etc. They are coated and resistant to rain and tearing. Available at motorcycle shops in Europe.

MOTORRAD Tourenplaner is a map set on CD similar to Microsoft Streets & Trips, but specifically for motorcycling in Europe. It plans routes, shows where services are, is GPS compatable, etc. The current product goes for €39.95, but last years version goes for €9.95 in motorcycle shops such as LOUIS (where I buy my copy).

Alex has obviously put a lot of heart into this topic and provided much useful information.

On a general note, I could not imagine riding on a guided tour. I enjoy dealing with different languages, cultures, and the unexpected, and typically decide which roads to take on the spot. However, I think it's also important to point out that the Alps are pretty user-friendly. Many people speak English and the infrastructure is normally very good. Furthermore, motorcyclists do not have any stigma attached to them, but are seen as everyday people (and are wooed by hotels, etc. as they view them as very generous guests).

Random thoughts to your post:

1) I like the Michelin maps2) Don't forget to consider the costs of Maut/Pickerl (road and pass tolls, the latter which are being increasingly prwwEvalent) which can add up over time3) The Julian Alps in Slovenia seem to get overlooked a lot, but which belong to my favorite (perhaps I should keep my mouth shut)4) It's truly a shame that all the previous wealth of information on this site was lost

Do you know if there are any roadside assistance plans available? Perhaps through the Rental companies. Could get interesting if you breakdown.

Dave, don't worry about it.

My first ten years riding there, I used an old 1980 BMW R65 between its 15th and 24th year...and I only had one very preventable breakdown. The original rear wheel bearings went during their 21st year.

That happened late in the afternoon. By ten the next morning, I was riding again. The folks in this small Italian town were that helpful. By the time I got out of the shower, my bike was gone and on its way to a Honda shop in Domodosolla in the back of a truck. BTW, most of the SS337 from Locarno to Domodosolla was incredible.

And if you think language is an issue, I only knew about five words of Italian back then.

I know that Knopf Motorradreisen used to and probably still does, hand out a cell phone to its customers for emergency use. Knopf also has good rental rates and they are located in Heidelberg, an easy run down the A5 from Frankfurt...and the major airport there. Continuing down the A5 past Heidelberg takes you into Switzerland.

« Last Edit: November 21, 2007, 01:09:44 PM by Global Rider »

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All the best,AlexMore info on motorcycles, Euro and Alps touring can be found at my Edelweiss SmugMug site.

Yes, the rates of the tourguides are definately over the top. Being local, I of course don't have to rent or fly, but I spend something south of $1000 for 7 days of playing in total when I go. That's less than $1000 for a week of extreme fun including hotels, food, drink, gas, my smokes, everything. By myself, it is typically in the area of 600. Add to that rental and flights and you end up significantly cheaper than any tour operator.

And if you are in an area like the Dolomites, you can't even go wrong even if you don't know where you are going. Every road is great and extremely twistie and will end up at one of the passes.

Don't forget to consider the costs of Maut/Pickerl (road and pass tolls, the latter which are being increasingly prwwEvalent) which can add up over time.

The Julian Alps in Slovenia seem to get overlooked a lot, but which belong to my favorite (perhaps I should keep my mouth shut).

Ralf, too late! I planned on heading to Slovenia last summer, but got wrapped up with Corsica instead. Since I'm always within a half days ride of the border, I plan to ride Slovenia and possibly Croatia next summer.

The tolls, although some passes have just implemented them recently, are well worth the experience. Having riden every Dolomite pass several times, I've bypassed them the last few years while enroute to the Lago di Garda area. So I guess I'll be in for a bit of a surprise.

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All the best,AlexMore info on motorcycles, Euro and Alps touring can be found at my Edelweiss SmugMug site.

Ralf, too late! I planned on heading to Slovenia last summer, but got wrapped up with Corsica instead. Since I'm always within a half days ride of the border, I plan to ride Slovenia and possibly Croatia next summer.

The tolls, although some passes have just implemented them recently, are well worth the experience. Having riden every Dolomite pass several times, I've bypassed them the last few years while enroute to the Lago di Garda area. So I guess I'll be in for a bit of a surprise.

I hope the toll revenue will be ploughed back into the infrastructure and not used elsewhere. It's, of course, still worth it to ride the passes, but, especially when thinking back to earlier, it's somewhat depressing to now have to pay fees. I haven't been to the Dolos in a while anyway though, as it's almost become too crowded during the high season, especially on the weekends (not to mention family and job commitments, but that's another story...). And there are a lot of other roads out there too

This has revived an idea that I had a while ago. To save the hassle and expense of renting a bike, why not ship a bunch of bikes in a shipping container and use them for a tour? If a group of riders could agree on some dates I think this could be very cost effective. I want to do a European trip next year so if any others are interested I will gladly investigate rates etc. It would be good to have an idea of numbers because I imagine the rates are cheaper if the numbers are greater.

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You should not anthropomorphize machines. They don't like it.Confucius says:"Forget about the past, you cannot change it. Forget about the future, you cannot predict it. Forget about the present, I didn't get you one."

This has revived an idea that I had a while ago. To save the hassle and expense of renting a bike, why not ship a bunch of bikes in a shipping container and use them for a tour? If a group of riders could agree on some dates I think this could be very cost effective. I want to do a European trip next year so if any others are interested I will gladly investigate rates etc. It would be good to have an idea of numbers because I imagine the rates are cheaper if the numbers are greater.

I'm very interested as would be my wife, I ride the '04 VFR and she rides the '04 Burgman.

Eventually I want to take me and my wife to Europe for a motorcycle tour. Doing it on our own would be grand as like some I like to experience the culture and what not without help from others who don't know from Dick or Jane.

This has revived an idea that I had a while ago. To save the hassle and expense of renting a bike, why not ship a bunch of bikes in a shipping container and use them for a tour? If a group of riders could agree on some dates I think this could be very cost effective. I want to do a European trip next year so if any others are interested I will gladly investigate rates etc. It would be good to have an idea of numbers because I imagine the rates are cheaper if the numbers are greater.

I lived in Germany from 1972-1975..Father was stationed at Spangdahlem, I went to High school in Bitburg.Went skiing in Austria once, Never made it to Switzerland .Was in Munchen for the some of 72 Olympics.

Used to speak/read/write German.. but have forgotten most of it now.Would really like to get back there before I kick the bucket, and especially on 2 wheels (I had a 90cc Benelli when I lived there)

Just can't do much of anything thing till my Son finishes College..$$$

I used Allround Motorradvermietung rates for the above example. I've never used them nor have I had any experience with them.

Simon from Allround Vermieting is a great guy. Very flexible and good discounts when renting multiple bikes. We've used them for our Eur04, Eur05 and Eur06 tours (bunch of friends from the US and EU riding together in the Alps).

Great information as I have a dream of Doing a motorcyle tour over in that area and the price of admission is so high through the tours.

Do you know if there are any roadside assistance plans available? Perhaps through the Rental companies. Could get interesting if you breakdown.

Check with your AAA club. I believe there might be some agreement with them and their German counterpart, the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobilclub or German auto club), and that by showing your card you get the same service. Maybe the AAA has some similar reciprocal agreements with the ÖAMTC (Austrian service club) and other European roadside assistance clubs (i.e. as a member of the ADAC I can get assistance throughout Europe)

Whether you go on an organized or self-guided tour, this is what you should be budgeting for when touring overseas. Mind you, that is on the high side. You should be getting by on about €1.35 per liter.

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All the best,AlexMore info on motorcycles, Euro and Alps touring can be found at my Edelweiss SmugMug site.